by the sea, by the sea....

 these sea anemones were so florescent.  very cool  spelled both of those big words wrong.  it's nearing midnight so i'll leave it...nope.  just discovered how to work spell check.  haha.

 these are from 1000 steps beach in Laguna.  i had some time to myself on friday. i'm a bit of a loner anyway.  nice for me to take a few hours and just wander in silence.

 back for a 4 night stretch of work starting tomorrow night.  don't usually do 4 nights so not looking forward to it.  it shall pass though.  then a few days and then the whole Christmas thing is in the past.  still a few fun Christmas standard movies to watch.  Christmas eve is always a time for Scrooge.  some times the old standard black and white but usually the more fun muppets version.

 got a few of the WARIS things done this week.  will try and push calendars this week and was thinking i may take a few to fish and game.  want to write to fish and wildlife and see what i can find out about the poached walrus. there has been no news since an article that mentioned that they seemed to have a lead on who had done it. nothing since though.  really want to see poachers get the book thrown at them.

 tonight i attended a town meeting for the east side of town.  the Governor was supposed to be there so i figured it was an opportunity to bring up walrus.  according to my nextdoor group thing it was supposed to be on some road thing but when i got there it was general fiscal stuff.  the Governor wasn't there.  i asked around a bit as i was late and found out he has the bug thats been going around.  bummer for him. i  stayed after and handed out my business card.  there were a few guys who were talking to the guy who filled in for the Governor and wouldn't leave so it was more me just handing him my card and leaving after waiting.

 i've never been to a one of these town meetings.  good just to see what it is all about.  the guy talked a lot and then answered "questions" which were mostly strange people with angry opinions and not much helpful advice.  actually reminded me of some of those old fast and testimony meetings we attended as kids.  it was often a wild card event.  you just never knew what or who was going to be moved by the spirit that day.  you would watch certain folks head to the open mike and you just knew it was going to be a bit nuts.

 we have a date for our lecture at REI.  yea!!  so save the date.  February 24th.  we have our speakers lined up as well.  yea!! so a walrus biologist will speak first about walrus in general and then we will have someone from fish and game speak about planning your trip to Round Island.  questions and answers and a table with our pamphlets and stickers and whatever new thing we can think of to sell.  calendars may be a bit too old by then but if we have leftovers may as well take them.

 so we'll have to work on advertising the event, filming it to post perhaps and snacks i guess.  REI doesn't charge non-profits for use of their space for events. thanks REI.  i hear BP has the same deal so may be good to utilize that option another time as well. have to see how our first event goes.

 did a loop out North Bivouac way today.  checked on our little decorated tree and pretty much everything is gone.  just strings left where bird seed ornaments were  not sure if the wind blew them off and dogs ate them or moose came in, or little critters, porcupines, martins...all sorts of stuff out there.  they went fast so i suspect either moose or dogs. poor birds.  we tried.

 i have some of my annual calendars left as well if anyone is wanting one of those contact me.  i'll just charge $20 for those.  if you want to donate more than the $20 i'll put it towards WARIS.

 my knee is sore for sure after my fall the other day.  swelling.  just tells me to get on the bike and into the pool  holidays are a terrible time to attempt big goals.  i did get on the bike in the garage tonight for a few minutes anyway and attempted dancing.  always that should i be resting it or pushing it.  who knows.

 love watching the waves and trying to capture that amazing sea color of the blue/green.  the light the spray.  all of it makes me happy.

 not going too nuts over Christmas this year.  some years i'm more into it all than others.  i have my cards out and i made little gifts for friends.  always fun.  should get a few more and get those done as well.

 thought they came out fun.  can't post pictures of course, until i have delivered them all.

 Blossom and i did Rovers Run yesterday.  it looked to be a pretty dreary day but as we started walking this amazing light came through the trees and the clouds parted for a bit.  so pretty. there was a bit of a breeze outside though.

 went to the movies with a friend last night.  we saw, "Brooklyn".  it's cheap Tuesday, though i think the person at the counter referred to it as Discount Tuesday.  we were happy we paid less though as it really wasn't all that great of a movie. it was okay, but long and not very much of an exciting plot.  just kind of laid there.

 most of the good movies look to be coming out in the next few weeks.  my friend wasn't keen on seeing the Martian which was playing as well.  still want to catch that one.  i have a few netflix movies that i probably need to get watched and returned or just returned.  i've had them too long.

 sad story for the season. there was a mobile home fire.  2 young girls were lost.  a 6 year old boy got out and their father was flown out for major burns.  i think the Mom was at work.  fire is always so awful.  always seems the worst to me.

 women can now do combat roles in the US military.  good timing.  was watching a video that these terrorists fear female fighters...death by female is horrible in their minds. everyone of them should be killed by females then.  that would be most demoralizing i guess.

 more wave action, with some surfer/skim boarders.

 hidden inside the wave

 a snowmachiner is still missing near McGrath.  his machine has been pulled out of the river but he hasn't been found yet.  don't expect they will find him alive.  sounds like they are expecting to look to recover his body.  there are open patches in the ice and occasionally someone slips under like this.  the current sucks you further away from the open area and from there you are trapped under the ice.  very sad.

 started writing while i was out there...too much beach not to.

 rented the cabin at Spencer Bench by Spencer Glacier. good thing as in todays paper they spoke of that cabin.  probably will be booked up. so i have it for May 23-24 i think.  have to take the train out.  Blossom can come but she'll have to be in a crate for the ride i guess.  will work that out.

 have to wait until after Jan comes to try and get Holgate Cabin.  may look into Porcupine cabin i think it is in Wrangell and want to get to Kennicott Mine and Hallo Bay.  will have to sort out times and make requests for days off for summer.  the time is coming fast.  must get requests in.

 the walrus rock where ever i am

 great sand out there in CA for writing

 i heart them, hopefully i can help them.

 this probably shows i was a wee bit homesick....did miss Blossom.  felt horribly guilty leaving her so soon after Rio passed.  i feared she would feel doubly abandoned.  she survived.  was texting that day as i prepared to leave and my friend reminded me to try and not put my emotions on the dog.  i've no doubt she is impacted by Rios loss and was impacted by my leaving as well, but i don't think it's to the degree and in the same way as i was.  it was sound advice. it's really easy to get yourself stressed out and emotional over a thing such as this.

 again...missing home that day a bit i guess

 Saudi women ran for offices and voted.  some were even elected.  change is slow, but it is happening. hopefully, it continues for them.

 another beautiful CA sunset.

 i left 1000 steps beach and headed back to my brothers place for Turkey Noodle soup and visit with relatives.  a cousin came down as well to visit.

 stopped a few times to enjoy the setting sun along the way.

 posted a time elapsed video of the Mendenhall Glacier.  it was over several years and showed the steady recession of the glacier.  my brother shared it and his "friends" made silly comments mocking the idea of global warming...which my brother "liked".  shouldn't let that stuff annoy me but sometimes it does.  best to not allow yourself to be sucked into unwinable battles.  some people will just believe what they want to believe especially about some topics.  it's pointless.

 i've no doubt there is warming. i live in the North and i have seen it.  there does seem to be a great deal of studies and evidence that this warming trend is happening at a more rapid rate that previous earth warmings.  I also find it improbable that the billions of humans living on the earth don't have a huge impact on it.  i'm just one of billions. i try to do my part but it's also an impossible battle at times.

  at this town meeting tonight they had pizza and bottles of water.  i stood fairly close to the trash can and watched bottle after bottle of empty water bottles being tossed in.  i recycle mine but so many others just aren't concerned about it.  seems so simple...then it's also frustrating because how much energy is required to recycle those bottles even if they all were recycled. best to just not use bottles of water if at all possible.

 there was a day when we got our water from the faucets.  we have decent filter systems.  when those bottles of water came out none of us thought it would become the multimillion dollar industry it is.  i mean who buys water in a bottle when you can just turn on your tap.  this generation often acts like the water in the tap is all poison...some of it is in some places i guess. no human impact there i guess.

 the sun sets on Catalina Island.  Rio was named Rio Catalina after that island out there.  just thought it sounded pretty and i've enjoyed some lovely times out there on that island.

 view as i was driving up the hill to my brothers place.

 well, i guess i shall retire.  another week of work ahead of me.  laundry done....better crash.

grateful for:  A.  opportunity to make a difference  B.  support of friends and walrus lovers who seem to have confidence that i can help make a difference  C.  my sweet Blossom and the cats, always so good to come home to and to hang out with.  love my fur family.